The consequences of ending abortion protection, the patient perspective on laboratory developed tests, health equity, and more to be explored at ADLM 2024

 
At ADLM 2024 (formerly the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo) in Chicago, more than 300 experts will present cutting-edge research and technology that will shape the future of laboratory medicine and improve patient care. From July 28-August 1, the meeting’s 250-plus sessions will delve into a variety of timely topics, including the health consequences of ending federal protection for abortion in the U.S., a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruling that could significantly impede patient access to essential laboratory developed tests, and how to harness data science to achieve health equity.
The case for clinical trials of lab tests. Clinical trials are the recognized standard for evaluating pharmaceuticals and other clinical interventions. In the meeting’s opening plenary, Dr. Patrick M. Bossuyt will make a compelling, research-based argument for why clinical trials of laboratory tests should also be used to support practice guidelines, reimbursement decisions, and more. Dr. Bossuyt is the recipient of the 2024 Wallace H. Coulter Lectureship Award and a professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Amsterdam.
Lymphoma biomarkers and therapeutic targets from mass spectrometry-driven proteomics. Dr. Kojo S.J. Elenitoba-Johnson, chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will deliver a plenary about the emergence of mass spectrometry as a way to assess complex protein mixtures in patient tissue samples, a technique that allows clinicians to detect cancer and develop more targeted treatments.
Pharmacogenetic testing in precision health. In this plenary, Dr. Ron H.N. van Schaik, professor of pharmacogenetics at Erasmus University Medical Center, will explain how pharmacogenetics uses people’s unique genetic profiles to develop personalized therapies for diseases. He’ll describe recent challenges and successes in this field that could benefit patients in psychiatry, cardiology, and oncology, along with pharmacogenetic-testing developments that will further refine treatments.
Providing more options in HIV prevention. Current HIV-prevention medications have limitations. Oral antiretrovirals combining tenofovir and emtricitabine reduce HIV only in certain people, while an injectable form of cabotegravir is effective but expensive. In this plenary, Dr. Sharon L. Hillier, director of reproductive infectious disease research at Magee-Womens Research Institute, will discuss the development of new prevention options for at-risk populations.
Projected consequences of ending abortion protection. In this plenary, Dr. Diana Greene Foster, professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, will discuss the changing landscape of abortion law and its impact on patient care. Drawing on data from nearly 1,000 pregnant people at 30 U.S. abortion facilities, she’ll describe the health and socioeconomic consequences of receiving abortions versus carrying pregnancies to term.
Special session on laboratory developed tests. This year, the FDA released a final rule placing laboratory developed tests under FDA oversight, even though these tests are already regulated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In this July 30 session, representatives from ADLM, the American Medical Association, and the Children’s Hospital Association will discuss the negative impact this rule will have on patient care. They will be joined by a caregiver and patient advocate who will give the patient perspective on why laboratory developed tests are so important to timely diagnoses and treatment.
The winning entry of the FairLabs Data Analytics Challenge. The University of Washington Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology Team has been named winner of a competition challenging participants to develop analytic tools that promote fairness in peripartum urine drug screening. ADLM 2024 attendees can learn about the winning entry and how to apply data science to health equity at the Health Equity & Access Division breakfast meeting on July 29.
“From plenaries highlighting testing breakthroughs to a session on achieving health equity through data science, to a critical discussion of the FDA’s laboratory developed tests ruling, ADLM 2024 showcases how clinical laboratory professionals are making bold moves every day to advance medicine around the globe,” said ADLM CEO Mark J. Golden.
The post The consequences of ending abortion protection, the patient perspective on laboratory developed tests, health equity, and more to be explored at ADLM 2024 appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.